Art of protectively treating materials



e reins.

ARTHUR. AREN'T, or DES aromas. IOWA, assiei ron 'ro-"An'rHUR AREN'T LABORA roams, 1110., or mass aromas, IOWA. A CORPORATION or IOWA.

ART OF PROTECTIVELY TREATING MATERIALS.

No Drawing.

description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to art of protectively treating materials; and it has to do more particularly with the treatment of fibrous or absorbent materials with a solution of antimony chlorid, SbCl dissolved in benzol, for the purpose of rendering such materials resistant to fire or otherwise preserving and protecting the same, said solution also being novel and constituting a part of the invention.

I have found that in the practice of the invention, good results are obtained if fibrous materials, such as wooden shingles, wood in general, wood pulp, paper pulp, paper in general, wallboard, canvass or cloth generally, wooden posts and piling, or the like,

' be impregnated with a solution of antimony chlorid in benzol, and the solvent be then allowed to evaporate spontaneously, or be driven off by any suitable drying process. The material thus treated and retaining in its pores antimony chlorid is highly resistant to fire and also resists decay in the case of wooden osts, piling, shingles, or like articles, which may be exposed under some conditions of use to borers such as the teredo, for example, the antimony. chlorid thus deposited in the pores of the wood acting as a toxic agent enabling the wood to successfully resist the attacks of these destructive agents. Moreover, since the action of moisture on antimony chlorid results in the formation of insoluble antimony compounds, such as oxychlorids for example, the fireproofing and toxic agent is not washed out of the wood by weathering or by submersion in water, but on the contrary clings tenaciously to the fiber and therefore constitutes a permanent protective agent.

In carrying out the invention in actual practice I dissolve a suitable amount of antimony trichlorid in benzol and then apply the resultant solution to the materials or articles to be protected in the manner de- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed June 9, 1920. Serial No. 387,733. I

scribed. In a typical example, the antimony trichlorid may be employed in the propor tion of 2 pounds to 1 gallon of commercial benzol, consisting largely of the compound benzene C 11 this proportion roughly about 25 per cent of the benzol by Weight) being effective to render the wood, cloth, or other material non-inflammable after evaporation of the solvent, in the sense that the material thus treated will merely char upon direct application of a flame thereto, but will not take fire. Larger proportions of antimony trichlorid may be employed up to the saturation point of the benzol, where special circumstances require heavier impregnation of the material to be protected. As stated, the benzol may be allowed to evaporate spontaneously but in practice it is desirable to drive 0 the solvent by appropriate heating and drying means and to recover the solvent for re-use.

Antimony trichlorid itself is a highly effective fireproofing and toxic or preservative agent; and it is not essential, in the broader aspects of the invention, to treat the articles or materials to be protected further than as already described. However, since exposure of the treated materials to atmospheric moisture eventually resultsin more or less rapid hydrolyzation of the contained antimony salt anyway, it is often desirable in practice in order to hasten and complete this hydrolyzation to specially treat the impregnated materials, after removalof the solvent, il t-""e1li i t e Iorm o waer or s earn, l in the antimon salt jg t q ak MW mixture of oxvsalts of varyin composition. such basic compounds being insoluble in water and clinging tenaciously to and within the fiber of the material. Benzol being an extremely penetrating hydrocarbon solvent, the antimony trichlorid dissolved therein is carried into the very substance of the materials treated and does not merely coat the outer surfaces of the fibres themselves; so that upon subsequent hydrolization, either artificially or by normal exposure, to atmospheric moisture, the insoluor stain to the material to be protected, as 9 in the case of shingles or interior woodwork for example, the desired stain may be mcorporated with the described impregnating solution without in any way lessening the mixture to ensure satisfactory solution of all the constituents and to maintain the penetrating character of the treating solu-' tion. Obviously, where varnish gums or the like constitute a part of the treating mixture, the solution may be used like a varnish to externally coat woodwork or the like as distinguished from impregnation or saturation as ordinarily understood. In such cases also, the antimony trichlorid is protected to a large extent from atmospheric influences and therefore changes much more slowly into basic forms; but in any case it remains in or on the materials or articles treated as a permanent protective agent.

For purposes of illustration, various compositions have been described above as within the present invention, but it is to be gallon of benzol.

understood that numerousother mixtures, within the language-of the appended claims, are also included Within the invention. Any well known or suitable method of impregnating the materials to be protected may be employed, the invention not being dependent upon the use of any particular mechanical procedure in this respect.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The process of protectively treating materials which comprises applying thereto a solution comprising benzol and antimony trichlorid. dissolved ther in.

- 2. The process of protectively treating materials which comprises applying thereto a solution comprising benzol, dissolved antimony trichlorid and a Waterproofing agent. 3. The process of treating wood which comprises impregnating'the same with a solution comprising benzol and antimony trichlorid dissolved therein. a

4:. A composition for protectively treatingmaterials which comprises a solution of antimony chlorid in benzol.

5. A solution of antimony trichlorid in benzol in the proportion of at least about two pounds of antimony trichlorid to one 6. A composition for protectively treating materials which comprises asolution of antimony trichlorid and coloring matter in benzol.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR ARENT. 

